Like Lassie Only Bigger
by TertiaryRaiths
Summary: The sequel to The Dog. Lex has been kidnapped, and it's up to the dog who made his life miserable and his friends to save him. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey. If you're reading this, and you haven't read 'The Dog' yet, you should. This is a sequel, and it picks up pretty much where 'The Dog' left off. **

Clark came into the mansion. Krypto was lying on Lex's couch, asleep. "Hey, boy!" Krypto sat up, his jaws opening in a doggie grin. Clark ruffled the dog's ears and accepted a lick or two before noticing the note shoved under Krypto's collar. "Hey, what's this?" Clark unfolded the paper.

_Clark,_

_Your dog has survived its stay at the Luthor mansion. I've gone out to Metropolis for the night...I figured you could get your dog all by yourself. _

_Lex_

"He really is mad," Clark muttered. He whipped out his cell phone and flipped it open.

_**'You have one. New. Voicemail,'** _a recorded voice told him.

"Alright..." Clark hit a few buttons and pressed the phone to his ear.

_"Hey, Clark, it's Lex. I kinda called to apologize, and also because my car's a mess and since you're on your way here, I was wondering if you could give me a ride home or something. It's actually kinda creepy in Kansas after sunset, so...if you could come quickly, I'd appreciate it." _There was a moment of silence, then a startled exclamation...Lex. There was a 'glop' as Lex dropped his phone...probably into mud. Lex didn't pick it up and turn it off. _'They're the latest style in Belle Reve,' _a muffled voice said. There was a brief, odd moment where there was more static than sound. Then..._"Now...we've got him loaded into the truck." "Good." "Where are we taking him?" "To..."_ Clark's amazingly long voice-mail message cut off then. Clark glanced at Krypto.

The dog whined, looking at the phone with troubled eyes. Was that even possible for a dog? At the moment, Clark didn't care. It sounded like Lex was in trouble. "Stay, boy." Krypto whined and followed him towards the door. "You want to come?"

The dog whoofed enthusiastically. "Fine. C'mon, let's go find Chloe," Clark told Krypto.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hi, Clark!" Chloe greeted him. "What brings you to the apartment at this hour?"

"I think Lex may have been kidnapped," Clark told her.

"I'm fine, thanks, how are you? It's great to see you again."

"Sorry, Chloe."

"Yeah, sure. So Lex has been kidnapped?"

"Yeah...I've got a voicemail."

Chloe could think of a hundred and one sarcastic remarks to say to that, but it was late, and she hadn't had enough caffeine today. Chloe took the phone away from Clark and whipped out a cord, plugging the phone into the computer. She played the voicemail message, then tapped a few computer keys.

Clark would never know how she did that. Chloe had somehow pinpointed the exact location of Lex's cell phone at the time of the call.

"Well, now we know where he was...let's listen again to see what time it was."

_'...10:14, P.M.'_

"That was last night...if you're right, Clark, and he's been kidnapped, he's a million miles away by now."

Krypto whined, pawing at Clark's leg. "Don't worry, boy, we'll find him."

Lex clawed his way out of unconsciousness to somewhere very dark. He was stiff all over, freezing, and DUCT TAPED to a freaking POST. Good grief, these guys took everything right out of the Great Big Book of Kidnapper's Cliches. Lex suddenly realized why everything was so freaking dark; he was blindfolded. "Hey!" he shouted. "Hey!"

Lex heard footsteps coming his way. "Good, you're awake." There was the guy Lex decided to call the Axe Murderer, for no other reason then the fact that he had had an axe on his person at some point. "How was your sleep, Mr. Luthor?" That was the Crazy One, in the blue Belle Reve uniform.

"It was fine, thanks. Where the h# am I?" Lex asked.

"There's no need to be nasty, Mr. Luthor."

"Sure there is."

"Look, Mr. Luthor, we just wanted to talk to you," the Axe Murderer said.

"Make an appointment at my office. Now will you untie me!?"

"Mr. Luthor, our pictures are plastered over the Internet, the county; heck, probably the entire state. They don't even know about you yet."

"My friend will!" Lex shot back. Then he cursed his ability of talking when he shouldn't.

"Your friend?"

Might as well go all the way. "Yeah, I called someone! They heard every word, they've probably already notified the police!"

There was a brief period of muttering, then, "Who?"

Lex decided now was the time to practice not talking when he shouldn't.

"WHO?"

"Look, what was it you wanted again?" Lex asked, trying to change the subject.

"We need new faces, new identities...you're one of the richest people in the world," the Axe Murderer pointed out.

"Technically, that's my father."

"You give us new faces, enough money to start over; and we'll let you go," the Axe Murderer said patiently.

"How much money?" Lex questioned.

"We figure about fifty million," the Axe Murderer replied.

Lex laughed. He couldn't help it. "I withdraw that much money all at once, and people are going to ask questions."

"No, they won't. Not if it's you."

"Alright, let me put it this way. My father monitors my accounts. I withdraw more than a million at a time, and he asks a lot of questions."

"You can make up a lot of answers. I hear you're pretty good at lying," the Axe Murderer said smoothly.

"I'm gonna need ten minutes, and a phone," Lex said finally.

Clark's cell phone rang. He didn't recognize the number, but answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Clark?"

"Lex!?"

"Clark, keep it down!" Lex hissed.

"Lex, where are you?"

"I'm not in any position to say, Clark. Look, Clark, these people are from Belle Reve. They want a lot more than I'm able to give them."

"So...what do you want me to do?"

"Clark..."

_"Whossat?" _a voice asked in the background.

"My secretary, you idiot," Lex replied.

_"That's not a Metropolis number!"_

"I'm not calling my office. My secretary lives in Smallville."

_"Gimme that phone!"_

"Lex!" Clark shouted. Krypto barked at the phone, as if by doing so he could scare away the kidnappers.

"Hello?"

Clark decided to stay silent.

"Who is this?"

Krypto whined.

"Look, I dunno who you are, but bring 50 million to the docks at midnight or Lex Luthor's a dead man!"

"But..." Clark started.

_Click._

**Sorry, 'tis going nowhere right now, but I kinda have to build it. Krypto's role will be bigger in the future, I promise.**


	3. Chapter 3

Clark's phone was still plugged into Chloe's computer, so she began trying to track it. "Even...not so legally, it'll take hours...it was a pre-paid cell-phone."

"Lex doesn't have hours! I have to deliver fifty million to the docks at midnight, and...we've only got..." Clark glanced at his watch. It read 1:30 p.m. "Ten and a half hours!"

"Clark, I don't know, it'll still be cutting it pretty fine," Chloe said worriedly.

"And where am I gonna get fifty million?"

Krypto barked, pawing at the door. "You wanna go out, boy?" Clark asked, going over and opening the door. Krypto flew out, down the stairs. "Stop!" Clark yelled, running after him. The dog flew at some guy standing at the counter. Clark grabbed him by the collar, stopping him just in time. The man looked startled by the big dog.

"Clark!" Lana didn't sound happy. "Control your dog!"

"Sorry, Lana."

"I'm sorry, sir," Lana apologized to the man.

"Nah, that's okay. I'm not much of an animal person."

Clark glanced at Krypto. The dog was straining against Clark's hold, his teeth bared, snarling at the man. Krypto never did that, not even to strangers. Clark looked up at the man. He'd never seen him in Smallville before. The guy was tall and skinny, with red hair and brown eyes. He didn't look like he got out much, with that pale complexion, but he was wearing a white t-shirt under a blue flannel shirt, with jeans, work-boots, and a stained trucker-style hat. His shoes were caked with mud, even though most of the roads were dry now. The man caught Clark staring at him, and a small frown furrowed his brow. Clark averted his eyes, and the man brushed by him.

Lex couldn't see, but he could smell. And what he smelled was _coffee_. Cold as it was, his brain started crawling around on the inside of his skull, trying to figure out how to get out and get some stimulating coffee. Lex groaned. His kidnappers noticed.

"Hey, Mr. Luthor. Do you-uh-want some coffee?"

The Axe Murderer. He hated that guy.

"Yeah, yeah, do you want some tee-hee coffee?"

The Crazy One was going to live in a nice soundproof room in the asylum, where no one could hear his obnoxious giggling.

"No!" Lex's traitorous stomach growled as it caught the scent of coffee and some sort of pastry...pie, maybe?

The pair laughed, and Lex hated them more than ever.

"I think I found your friend...the one who you called."

_Clark_.

"What did you do to him, you b#&?" Lex snarled.

"Let's just say he'll never be coming to find you."

Lex instantly reached a horrifying conclusion:_ They'd killed Clark!_

It was up to him to get free, then, before midnight. Lex just wished he knew how much time that left him.

"There was something wierd about that guy," Clark was telling Chloe. "Krypto never acts like that!"

Krypto whined, pawing at Clark's leg. Clark looked at him; Krypto cast his eyes at the door.

"I think I have an idea," Clark told Chloe. "Tell me if anything comes up."

"Yeah...right now it looks like it's somewhere outside of town, in the forest...it's gonna take a long time to get the exact location, but it's in that general area."


	4. Chapter 4

**Forgive me if this chapter is wierd, but it's about 12 at night here so I'm kinda out of it...yeah.**

Clark knew what he was doing was hopeless, but he had to do it. He picked Krypto up and super-sped out to the fringes of the town, by the woods. Clark set the dog down.

"Boy, we're looking for Lex, okay? Lex?" Krypto's ears perked up, and he smiled a doggie smile, as though remembering the brief stay he had with Lex. "Or that guy from the coffee store, okay?"

Krypto bounded off. "Come back here!" Clark shouted. Krypto stopped as Clark turned in the other direction, to search around the edges of the woods. Krypto barked, getting Clark's attention. Krypto danced a few steps towards the woods, then danced back, towards Clark.

_Like Lassie_, Clark thought. He glanced at the sky. It was already getting dark, and his watch read 5:04 p.m. Time was going by so fast. Clark followed Krypto.

Lex was trying to loosen or break the duct tape enough to get free. But he couldn't see, and had to work slowly, so he could hear if anyone came his way. For all he knew, all the lights in the building were on, and they were putting photos of him all tied up on Myspace. _Myspace? Where did that come from?_ Lex decided it was long past time for some kidnapper negotiations.

"Hey...I figured out how to get you your money!" Lex called.

"We're listening."

"Well, you give me that phone again and I'll call the bank and have fifty million transferred into any account you choose."

"What's the number?"

Lex really really really wished he didn't have to do this. REALLY. But they'd already killed Clark, and, though he hated to admit it, he was getting scared, and he knew he was next if he didn't give them what they wanted. His father would know what to do. His father would laugh these losers off and still escape.

_What am I thinking? I hate my father!_

Lex decided he was delirious.

"What. Is. The. Number?"

"I think he's hee-hee out of it."

"No, the number is..."

Clark followed Krypto into the woods. Krypto seemed to know where he was going. Clark glanced at his watch. They'd been out here for more than an hour. "Come on, Krypto," he said, disappointed. They still had about six more hours until they had to show up and save Lex. With lots of money. That Clark didn't have. Clark turned away. He was surprised when there was a tug on his jacket. He looked down. Krypto had his red jacket in his teeth. Clark could hear the dog growling at him.

_Sorry,_ Krypto's eyes said._ I can't let you do that._

_Let go,_ Clark thought.

The dog whuffed. _That's gonna happen._

Great. Now Clark was talking to a dog. "Alright, boy. Only an hour, okay?"

Krypto barked triumphantly.

"Keep it down!" Clark ordered.

"What was that?" the Crazy One questioned.

Lex stopped his recitation of the number. "What?" he asked.

"That...that dog, barking..."

"Are you really losing it, buddy? C'mon, focus!"

The_ Axe Murderer_. Ruining Lex's chances of getting free while they investigated the presence of a non-existent dog. Lex glared at him...or he would have, if he could see the guy.

"I'm not crazy!"

"Sure, you spent ten years in Belle Reve for no reason? Oh, was it a nice vacation? A few years off?"

"Stop!"

"No, you stop!"

"No, you!"

They were pushing each other; Lex could hear them. And arguing like three-year olds. Lex redoubled his attempts to free himself. They noticed. "What are you doing?" the Axe Murderer asked. Lex struggled to contain his smug grin. His hands were nearly free. He remained what he thought was obnoxiously silent. "Did he pass out?" the Crazy One asked, not sounding nearly so crazy. Lex tried to stay very still; if they thought he was unconscious, he had a better chance of escaping.

"He's out," the Axe Murderer confirmed. "He's not moving a muscle."

Lex thanked the meditation his psychiatrist had made him do after the island incident.

"Well, then." They left the room; he heard a door close. Lex pulled off his blindfold and broke the duct tape still binding his wrists with a snap. He blinked in the dark; and saw the Axe Murderer and Crazy One standing right over him. Lex threw himself off to the side as they lunged for him, and got to his feet quickly. He started running, glancing back over his shoulder.

_CRACK!_ Lex had been so busy trying to see if they were following him, he'd run into yet another post. He tried to keep moving, but the whole room was spinning, and he couldn't quite right himself. They grabbed him under the arms and dragged him backward. Lex decided to sleep on his newest problem. That way, he would have an excuse when he passed out.

**Boring? Sorry. Review.**


	5. Chapter 5

Clark followed Krypto to a trail. He and his dad had hiked out here when Clark was a kid; it was a mess. Krypto whuffed. Clark examined the grass. It was pressed flat, in two rows; like a car had passed by here.

"Good boy!" Clark cheered. He glanced at the sun rapidly sinking behind the trees.

Krypto's ears perked up suddenly, and he took off down the trail.

"Come back!" Clark hissed. "KRYPTO!!!"

The dog barked at him. Clark rushed after him. "No, boy, stop!" he called as loudly as he dared.

Krypto stopped, giving Clark a triumphant look. There was a building there, maybe an old warehouse or a home or...probably a visitor's center or something, like what they had in big parks. The roof was sunken and full of holes, and moss and mold grew on the wooden walls. A black truck was outside, painted with the Belle Reve logo. It was dirty, but certainly nowhere near old enough to have been there as long as the building.

Clark didn't compliment his dog, and Krypto, to his credit, didn't give Clark his hurt doggie look. Clark patted his head. Krypto gazed steadily at Clark, and Clark could swear a mischievous entered his brown eyes. Krypto turned his head towards the building, then looked at Clark. Clark's eyes widened. _Don't, Krypto, don't!_ he pleaded silently. Krypto licked his face and ran towards the building on silent feet.

Clark narrowed his eyes and looked through the walls. There were two men in there, one the red-haired guy Krypto had taken such a dislike to, and the other a dark-haired man in dirty blue scrubs; standard Belle Reve patient wear. Lex was strapped to a post with duct tape that was wrapped around his entire torso, his mouth taped shut and more tape covering his eyes_. Good grief, that's a lot of tape_! Clark would have laughed at the over-use of the silver tape if the situation hadn't been so serious. Krypto was charging the man in blue scrubs who had a gun, and the other grabbed an axe off a rotten old chair. "NO!" Clark shouted, rushing to the rescue of his dog. He snatched the axe from the astonished man's hands and hurled it away. It crashed through the wall. Krypto attacked the Belle Reve man with ferocious strength, sending the gun spinning. Clark snapped the duct tape like thread and hauled Lex to his feet. His friend removed the duct tape from his face.

"Clark!" Lex couldn't be more surprised and over-joyed to see his friend. Suddenly Clark turned pale, like he was sick or something. Clark collapsed, raising his hands and staring at them in weak horror. Lex could see meteor dust glittering everywhere, so at least he was still in Smallville. Lex grabbed Clark and hauled him behind one of the sagging tables. They didn't have a lot of time. He started patting Clark down, searching the farm boy. There was a 'yip' and a crash.

"Krypto," Clark muttered.

Clark's dog! Clark's dog was...Lex looked around, his search complete, Clark's cell phone in hand. Who knows what they'd done to Clark, and now to Clark's dog... Lex hit two buttons on the phone and dropped it. Lex's eyes narrowed as they landed on a gun lying carelessly in the corner. He crawled over to it and grabbed it, checking to see if it was loaded. He stood up, knowing they could see him.

He could see them, too.

Lex started firing at them, not actually wanting to kill them, just injure or harass them. The Axe Murderer dropped to the ground, and the Belle Reve man shrieked in pain as one of Lex's bullets caught him in the shoulder. Lex continued to squeeze the trigger-it clicked empty. The Axe Murderer had vanished. Lex looked around; something caught him on the back of his neck, and he went down.

"Hello?" a girl's voice cried out of the phone. "Clark?"

Lex groaned, looking up at the Axe Murderer standing over him.

"Whatcha gonna do now, rich boy?" he sneered.

"This," Lex replied, lashing out at the man with both feet. The Axe Murderer howled and went down. Lex grabbed the gun and brought it down on the back of the man's head.

"Who is that? This is Clark, right?"

_Chloe._

"Chloe, it's Lex," Lex said, picking up the cell phone.

"Lex? My god, we were worried about you."

"Do you know where we are?"

"I'm tracking the call...yeah, I got it."

"Send 9-1-1. Clark's hurt, I think."

"What happened down there?"

"Oh-could you send a vet, too?"

Strained silence, and Lex could tell Chloe was either trying not to laugh or wondering what he wanted with a vet.

"Sure," she said finally, hanging up.

Lex crawled over to Clark and dragged him out of the dim little building, then went back for Krypto. The dog was sitting up, smiling his doggie smile at Lex.

"I don't think Clark found this place on his own, did he?" Lex asked.

An innocent look crossed the dog's face.

"You are way too smart to be an ordinary dog. But you know what? You saved my life, didn't you, boy? So I'm gonna be nice to you." Lex told Krypto. He picked the dog up, grunting, and carried him outside. Outside, Krypto got up and walked around like he hadn't been in a fight. Lex rolled his eyes and felt dizzy. He sat on the ground and waited for whoever Chloe had called.

Lana and Chloe followed the police and ambulance out into the forest. Clark was moving, and Lex was sitting up, looking worse for the wear. Chloe got out and started taking pictures of the building, the two men being loaded into police cars, and Lex and Clark. Lex had a gun in his hand. He looked tired.

_Taking care of Clark's dog and getting kidnapped would,_ Chloe thought. Lana had brought coffee, which she didn't understand, until Lana knelt by Lex and gave him a cup of it. Lex smiled at her, took a sip, and looked less tired almost instantly.

"What happened?" Chloe asked.

"I was kidnapped. I escaped," Lex replied. Chloe got the message: _Leave me alone. I'm not saying anything for you to put in the paper._ She wandered off.

Clark sat up, putting a hand to his head. There wasn't as much pain, but he was going to have to wash his clothes and shower when he got home. One of the policemen was leading Lex away, asking him questions. Lex answered them, looking cool and unflappable as ever.

"How does he do that?" he asked Lana.

"Practice, practice, practice?" Lana offered. They both laughed.

"You saved his life; again. Smallville Super-hero Clark, to the rescue again."

"Actually, it was Krypto," Clark admitted. "Without him-"

"Who knows whether Lex would be being interrogated or..."

There was a moment of sobering silence.

"Is Krypto okay?" Lana asked.

"Yeah, he seems fine."

"That's a wierd dog," Lana replied. "Didn't I see one of those guys in the Talon earlier?"

Clark decided not to tell her her precious Talon had been infiltrated by Lex's kidnapper.

"No," he replied.

"C'mon, I'll give you a ride home," Lana offered.

"Sure," Clark replied.

"Hey, Clark!" Lex called.

"Yeah?" Clark asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Thanks again," Lex replied.

"It wasn't me. It was all Krypto," Clark told him.

Lex smiled and turned back to the police officers while one of the paramedics moved around him, trying to get some tape on a cut over Lex's eye.

Clark turned back to Lana, and Krypto sitting in the backseat. He decided life was good.

And he was never leaving Krypto with Lex again.


End file.
